MY Magnus
by SnowVixen
Summary: Who really knows Magnus Bane? When a cult of demon worshippers capture the warlock outside his loft in Brooklyn, they intend to deliver him to his father, Asmodeus, as a gift. After breaking up with Alec, is there anyone who will notice he's missing? Or rescue him?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - I am borrowing these beautiful, magnificent characters. I hope some day to create some of my own, but for now, credit goes to Cassandra Clare for a brilliant mind and imagination. (PS Ms. Clare, if you are reading this, thank you a million times over for creating this world for my imagination to play in. I hope you like what you see.)

Chapter 1:

He sat as quietly as he could. His hands were tied behind his back - with what he wasn't sure but when he tried to wriggle free the sting and burn was quick to stop him. His eyes were covered and he had been gagged at first, but after proving he could be quiet, they'd let him go without. Whoever 'they' were.

Magnus Bane had been alive a long time. He'd been almost everywhere there was to go in the world, and a few other less savoury dimensions besides. He picked up foreign languages easily, plus he had the advantage of a long, long life and could take his time. It was a skill that had come in handy countless times in his life; but the present was not one of those times.

His captors spoke to each other in what Magnus figured was an ancient dialect, something that had gone extinct. It implied a cult. Whatever it was, when they'd approached him on the street not far from his loft in Brooklyn, it had distracted him enough for someone to approach him from behind and drug him with something strong enough to knock him out in seconds. They'd worn hoods, he remembered that, so he couldn't recall any specific features about them. His shoulder still hurt, even now, at the injection site.

They did seem to understand him though. If he asked for a drink, someone would hold a bottle of water to his lips. When his stomach betrayed him and growled, someone delivered something akin to beef jerky to his mouth. It wasn't something he would have ever asked for but he savoured it and chewed slowly. Even so far as the call of nature, he'd been helped to his feet and assisted (which he very much _did_ mind, but when the alternative was wetting himself or his bladder exploding…)

But they didn't answer his questions, didn't offer conversation. And so he sat, or laid down, in the dark and waited. He'd drift in and out of sleep - boredom killed.

He'd been moved twice. When he'd woken up initially, he was in a vehicle - the back of a van he figured because his legs were stretched out and there were at least 3 other people and no safety belts.

They'd made him leave the van at some point, guiding him the whole way and he'd been sat down on the floor in a room. He smelled canvas and a mustiness and it was very warm. The walls seemed to whisper and sway if there was a breeze, so he assumed it was a tent of some sort.

He was sweating through his clothes while they'd stayed there and one of his captors had 'helped' by cutting away the long sleeves of the cashmere sweater he'd been wearing. That left a bad taste in his mouth despite the relief from the heat - Alec had given him that sweater.

Ironically, it had been the first time that Magnus had ventured out of his apartment since they'd broken up and he'd put it on in case he ran into Alec, not that he'd expected to.

He'd spent weeks going over what had happened between them and realized that he truly missed him. He'd forgiven Alec for what he'd done - it was easy to be duped by Camille. Alec had such an innocent way about him. Magnus couldn't deny that was one of the qualities he'd loved most.

It was habit, at first, that told Magnus that he didn't have to worry - Alec would find him. But then he realized that they hadn't spoken in weeks. Magnus hadn't returned his calls and there had been fewer texts. Maybe he wouldn't realize Magnus was missing. And who else would? Who else was there, regularly, in his life?

That was when he realized he could be in real trouble and his heart sank.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Follow to make sure you know when I update!

Love, SV xxoo


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - I am borrowing these beautiful, magnificent characters. I hope some day to create some of my own, but for now, credit goes to Cassandra Clare for a brilliant mind and imagination. (PS Ms. Clare, if you are reading this, thank you a million times over for creating this world for my imagination to play in. I hope you like what you see.)

Chapter 2:

Caterina was a warlock. She worked at the hospital during the day, wearing a glamour to disguise her blue skin from the mundanes . She was good at her job, genuinely liked helping people, and the pay check was nice. She also helped the not-so-mundane patients that came through the door.

She'd known Magnus Bane for a long time. They weren't exactly friends, they didn't meet regularly for coffee or gab about their love lives on the phone. But they were familiar with each other's pasts and referred each other when they were too busy for 'magic' jobs as they came up. Magnus had sent Caterina in his place the last few times the Shadowhunters had requested his services. The last time, they'd called her directly.

She was cleaning up a surgical tray, depositing the tools in the bin to be cleaned and sterilized, when someone tapped on her shoulder. Turning, she was face to face with the Lightwood girl. Her first name escaped her, but Caterina knew her brother had been dating Magnus.

'Oh, Hi! I'm sorry, I forget your first name.'

Isabelle smiled, genuinely friendly. 'That's okay, it's Isabelle. You did a portal for us a while back at the Institute. Caterina, right?'

The other woman smiled. 'Yes, Isabelle. I knew it was something like that. How are you? Is there something you needed, like, medically? Since you're at the hospital..'

'Oh..' Isabelle smiled, almost blushing. 'No, no, nothing like that. We're all fine. I just..'

Her hesitation was long enough that Caterina jumped to the assumption that this had something to do with Magnus. She wasn't sure why, but if everyone was fine health wise, then this was the only other connection they had between them.

'..I wondered if you'd heard from Magnus lately? If you knew if he was alright?'

Caterina tilted her head, curious when she replied 'I havent heard from Magnus lately, no. Why wouldn't he be alright?'

'Well, you know he and my brother broke up a few weeks ago…' Isabelle launched into the explanation for her inquiry, speaking quickly. Caterina was almost dizzy trying to keep up. She idly wondered if she'd been 'that' kind of chatty girl when she was her age.

'…I called him just to check in, it's weird not seeing him….and I was at the Pandemonium and Taki's and the Hunter's Moon and asked around but it seems that nobody has seen him or heard from him. I went by his loft and there was no answer, and Simon thought if I 'runed' my way in that it'd be overstepping, and then he suggested I ask you first, but then I didn't have your number…'

Did this girl ever breathe while she was talking, Caterina wondered. Maybe there was a new rune for speed-talking she didn't know about.

Holding up both of her hands to try to slow her down, Caterina said 'Okay, how about I try calling him. He doesn't have a reason to not answer me, that I know of anyway. Magnus can be a bit of a recluse, maybe he's just avoiding you all.'

She pulled her phone out of her scrubs pocket, feeling a bit awkward that her comment might have been harsher then she'd planned and scrolled down to his number, hitting call with her thumb.

After 5 rings, his voicemail didn't pick up, but a notification that the mailbox was full did. That was odd, knowing him as she did. He always checked his messages even if he didn't return them. He liked being 'in the know', the gossip-whore.

She considered pretending to leave a message, but after looking at Isabelle and seeing the genuine concern on her face, and the effort she'd already put into this quest to find Magnus, she thought better of it.

'Alright, so his mailbox is full….that's not like him.' She mulled over their options. It could be that he'd just taken a trip somewhere - he did tend to travel and get out of his own head. But on the other hand, he also let people know if he was leaving town for an extended period of time.

'So…what do we do?' Isabelle asked, not that Caterina needed the question repeated. It was already running through her brain along with a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

'Let's go by his place. If he doesn't answer, I'll let us in. Then, I mean, if anything seems out of place we'll know something is up. And if all looks normal, then I'll just take the heat.'

Isabelle called Alec as the two women made their way over to Brooklyn. He met them at the curb. Caterina could see Alec was fidgeting, he was nervous about being here.

Simon had come jogging up the street behind them.

'Sorry, couldn't get a cab!' he explained. Isabelle had obviously called him, for support if nothing else, and it seemed to annoy her brother.

There was no answer from the intercom. They tried 3 times, and no reply came. Caterina opened the lock easily and they headed up the stairs. It was dark on the landing outside of his apartment door. The bulb must have burnt out.

His door was unlocked, which wasn't odd if he'd just been going out for a moment. Of course Magnus could just make anything he needed appear. Maybe he'd just gone out for fresh air, Caterina thought, as once the door was open the smell of old take-out…rather old take-out by the degree of the odour, wafted out to meet them.

'Geez..' Simon said. 'I know he doesn't always keep his place spick'n'span but this is a bit much.'

They nodded agreement as they headed in. Alec held up his witch light, scanning the immediate area. Simon tried flipping the light switch, not knowing Magnus had never actually paid for electricity. Isabelle headed to the nearest window and opened it, letting fresh air into the space.

Despite the old food containers, nothing looked out of place. There wasn't furniture thrown over as if there'd been a struggle or if the place had been ransacked. And there was no sign of Magnus.

Nothing looked odd to any of them, until Caterina got to the kitchen. She saw a teapot on a trivet, as if it had been heated and a mug was beside it. The tin of Magnus' preferred tea was open on the counter and empty, tossed aside almost as if he had been surprised and frustrated to find it empty. There was also 2 slices of bread, at some point toasted, still sitting in the toaster.

She grabbed one, it was stale and cold, just like the water in the teapot. The jam was on the counter with the knife stuck in it as well. Fruit flies had gathered.

Together, the group surmised he must have gone out for more tea, forgetting the rest of the items or expecting to return soon enough that it wouldn't matter. It seemed reasonable, with his door left unlocked on top of it.

Caterina waved a hand in the kitchen, looking around expectantly, but seeming disappointed when nothing appeared to her.

'What is it?' Alec asked.

'Normally, if something had happened to Magnus here, he'd have left a message. Like, a message only another warlock could read. But there's nothing.'

'Maybe nothing happened to him here?' Simon added.

'Maybe …not here.' Caterina said. She paused before adding. 'Do you know where he'd go to get tea near here?'

Alec did. They'd often walked outside in his neighbourhood, and they'd even bought tea together. Magnus' preferred leaves weren't found everywhere, but the shop up the street ordered it in for him.

Together they headed down, locking the door behind them, walking briskly in the direction Alec lead them.

As they passed an alleyway, Caterina felt a chill. She paused, knowing the world of magic as she did, looking for the source. While there wasn't anything to see easily, the rest of them came back towards her as she waved her hand. The words appeared on the wall, neon green to their eyes, words they couldn't decipher.

Caterina gasped, she could read them. She squinted, making sure she had it right, before turning to the group. 'He was here. Something happened here.'

'What does it say?' Alec's voice was urgent. 'What happened?'

'It says 'Help Me, MB'.'

'That's it?' Isabelle asked, almost as urgent as her brother. 'It has to say more then that!'

'No, that's it. 4 times, just Help Me.' Caterina considered what it meant, the message being so short.

Simon had begun looking around, down the alley were dumpsters and shadows.

'It must have been quick, maybe he had no idea he was in trouble until the last second or he might have been…' she broke off when Simon called back to them.

Alec ran down the alley towards him and crouched down to see what Simon had his hand extended to. Holding out his witch light again, Alec saw two green and gold eyes peering out at him, and the slightest of mews followed.

'Chairman?' he called. The small cat crawled out to him and leaned into his outstretched hand. Alec picked him up, the cat didn't protest, purring into his chest. He was wet and dirty, obviously glad to see him. Alec tucked him inside his jacket.

Simon reached under the dumpster where the cat had been, seeing something else. He pulled out a cell phone. The screen was cracked, as if it had been stomped on and then kicked out of sight. Isabelle was quicker than the rest, dialing Magnus' number, hoping against hope that this phone wouldn't ring.

But it did…the screen barely powered enough to light up a garbled 'Isabelle' on it before blinking out.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Follow to make sure you know when I update!

Love, SV xxoo


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I am borrowing these beautiful, magnificent characters. I hope some day to create some of my own, but for now, credit goes to Cassandra Clare for a brilliant mind and imagination. (PS Ms. Clare, if you are reading this, thank you a million times over for creating this world for my imagination to play in. I hope you like what you see.)

Chapter 3:

It was some time later that Magnus was moved again. When he first stood up he got dizzy and stumbled. He was righted on his feet rather roughly, his shoulder aching, and his not-so-gentle, obviously unwilling assistant muttered a few choice words Magnus did recognize - the equivalent to 'damnit', 'filthy' and 'warlock'.

Someone else grabbed a tight hold of his bound hands behind him and the back of his neck and shoved him a few steps forward.

All normal sound around him ceased and he was surrounded by something akin to rushing water - as if he'd somehow gotten his head underwater in rushing rapids. He even felt like he was submerged, still firmly held by his captor, and instinctively he held his breath. It was only seconds before he felt like he was thrown down to the hard ground, landing on both his knees and wincing as the grip on his neck tightened. He guessed that the man behind him wasn't quite as used to travelling through portals as he was.

During the trip, he'd lost his blindfold and upon opening his eyes he saw for a second 4 men in front of him, all soaking wet like he was, and angry. They all shouted at him in words he didn't understand, and he quickly tried to cower back and close his eyes again, hoping it was what they wanted. The tension measurably eased.

Magnus was yanked to his feet, yelping slightly from the surprise, but also because his wrist bindings were cutting into his arms sharply. They marched him forward, and he chanced a glance now and then towards his feet, but it was dark and he couldn't discern anything helpful about where he was from it. The air around him cooled and he could notice through his closed eyelids that it was gradually growing darker.

He shivered, his wet clothes clinging to him. His soaked shoes, ruined leather beauties that he'd finally managed to break in just right, were cutting into his feet and ankles, the blisters long since ruptured and now his raw ankles were becoming unbearable.

He staggered and finally collapsed to his knees again, and begged 'Please….my feet are killing me.'

He wasn't sure whether he had a sympathetic person leading him or not, but the man shoved him back onto his butt and reached down towards Magnus' ankles. Magnus braced himself for his shoes to be yanked off, everything so far hadn't been done gently, but he was surprised when the hands that touched his feet were gentle. The accompanying voice, he guessed, was female, but he wasn't chancing a glance.

The lighter voice spoke, an exasperated deeper reply came, and then the light voice replied to it firmly. The next thing Magnus knew, cool water was poured over his throbbing ankles and feet, a cloth dabbing the sores gently.

They let him rest a few moments, the barks from the men were impatient, but the female's reply was sharp.

She whispered lightly in his ear 'Better…now'

It wasn't so much a question, but Magnus thanked her. She laid a hand on his hair, a comforting gesture that implied she understood. Magnus took a chance, asking in a whisper 'Where are we going?'

She didn't answer, though she hadn't moved away from him yet. 'Please,' he persisted 'where are you taking me?'

She stood then, Magnus heard her light feet shuffle away. Then he was firmly kicked in the leg, crying out because it wasn't expected, and drawn to his feet.

They expected him to continue on in bare feet, he wondered.

When he'd sat down, the ground beneath him was rough, gravel or something similar, not soft in any case. But in fact they did, with an insistent shove to his aching shoulder, get him moving forward again shoeless.

He stumbled, the hand on his arm kept him from falling. The pathway seemed to be heading downhill, gravity pulling him along as well. It wasn't long before his feet went from excruciating, feeling cut and raw on the bottom, to numb.

He was in tears, but they kept him moving.

They obviously had somewhere to be.

When they finally let him rest, Magnus fell to the ground. He was too exhausted to do anything more than let sleep take him.

He drifted in and out of sleep, the pain in his feet reaching a peak, throbbing mercilessly. He whined in his sleep, and being in the state he was, he couldn't help it.

He could hear the others speaking to each other, and the one name in the world he loathed to ever hear, knowing nothing good could come from any association with it, mentioned a few times - Asmodeus.

Knowing his father as he did, Magnus doubted Asmodeus had anything to do with his capture, but it also didn't make him feel any better about his predicament. Magnus had avoided his father at every turn, save 2 instances where he had called on him. The only two in his entire life. Both times, he wished he hadn't.

One was just to make sure Asmodeus was actually his sire.

The other was to help save his friends from a death sentence in a realm of Hell ruled by Asmodeus. The last time, the most recent, still bothered Magnus. It had been revealed that he had things in his life that he could be tortured with - his friends. His, then, boyfriend. He knew his father wouldn't hesitate to cause Magnus pain, son or not. It was the demon-way.

Upon waking from what he felt like was a nitemare, wondering if he'd actually heard what he'd heard, Magnus was being dragged to his feet again. This time, he didn't have far to go. His wrist ties were separated from each other, his arms ached from being in the position for so long, and then they were brought out to his sides.

He felt it before he heard it, but he had two metal manacles close around his wrists. The click of the lock on them came a second after the sting. The wounds in his wrists were raw, whatever they'd used to keep him subdued had been tight enough to slice open rings around his arms.

He tried to pull his arms down, free, but he was held in place on his feet. He opened his eyes then, and saw briefly a terrifying glimpse of where they'd brought him.

The room looked like that of a church, or some place of worship. There were pillars and columns at intervals around the room, against the walls. Torches lit the room, candles were on what he assumed as an altar at one end.

A giant pentagram glowed from where it had been carved out on the floor in the centre of the room. Magnus was opposite the altar, strung up between two columns. He had never felt more like a sacrificial lamb then he did at that moment.

The others had cloaks on now, still hooded, and they were lining up around the pentagram. There were a lot more people in the chamber then he expected.

Magnus saw one with a spell book open in his hands, and he glanced towards Magnus almost as if he were going through a checklist, making sure everything was in place before he started. His robes had runes on them, though from this distance Magnus could see they were crudely drawn.

Magnus took a chance then. 'Wait..' he called out. His voice was rough and hoarse, his throat dry. 'Whatever you are summoning, please don't.'

The man with the book took a step towards him, and spoke in a tone loud enough for the rest to hear him. 'We are summoning the greatest demonic power of all time. We do not need your permission.'

'You don't know what you're doing.' Magnus tried. 'If you call on someone too powerful, he'll burn you where you stand.'

'Our lord wouldn't do that.' the man continued. 'Besides, we've brought him a gift.' He waved a hand in Magnus' direction. 'He will thank us for bringing you back to him.' The crowd murmured '_He will thank us, He will thank us….'_

'What makes you think he will thank you? I'm warning you…he'll destroy you!' Magnus had no care for these people in particular, they'd been cruel to him, but he hated the idea of not giving them a warning of what would happen. 'This is your only chance to save yourselves…Don't call on him…Asmodeus doesn't care about followers.'

It was the first time he'd spoken his father's name, it caused the congregation to look up towards him.

'Don't you DARE say his name, filthy warlock. And don't presume to warn us.' the man yelled. He swung a hand towards the others in the room 'Us…his servants!'

Magnus felt the strength in his legs waivering, he was sinking towards the ground, his arms held fast by the chains. They weren't going to listen. Even if he couldn't help them, he still didn't want to face his father, especially in his weakened state.

He turned his back to Magnus then, and began to chant. The name of one of the Princes of Hell amidst the ancient words, the pentagram glowed more brightly the louder the words came from the crowd.

And then he was there. Magnus had blinked, a rather long blink from exhaustion as he hung by his arms, trying to relieve the pain in his legs and feet. In the centre of the pentagram, stood a figure Magnus knew well. Asmodeus.

The man with the book spoke to the Demon, but Asmodeus only looked through him to his son, strung up across the room.

The man tried to get Asmodeus' attention, speaking louder, stepping closer to the pentagram.

Magnus almost whimpered a last warning to him, as he saw him stepping too close. It was a second before the man's robes went up in flames. Magnus closed his eyes as the man flailed around, burning alive.

The grin on his father's face was a horror. The other's near the pentagram tried to back away, some screamed, but all seemed frozen in place. Magnus knew then, that they were frozen because Asmodeus wanted them that way. Like a cat toying with a mouse, though he had more then 20 before him here, Asmodeus waited for the flaming man to fall before glancing towards Magnus again.

'Stupid mortals….' he said. His voice carried through the room without much effort.

He looked at them all then, turning to see each and every one. 'A pentagram? Honestly?' He glanced up at Magnus, who was straining to keep his eyes open. 'One big pentagram? That is how they expect to hold me?' He laughed then, and Magnus could almost feel the twisted joy his father was feeling.

Asmodeus stepped out of the pentagram through the space the former leader had occupied in the circle. 'So…..' he started, and strangely all the robed people turned in unison to see him. "What is soooooo important? Why have you called me?'

When no one answered, he glanced at Magnus again to see if he was paying attention. 'Did you warn them, Magnus? Did you tell them they had no idea the sort of trouble they were making by even just _thinking about_ calling on me?'

Magnus cleared his throat then as best he could. 'I tried….' he groaned.

Asmodeus looked back at the group. 'Whose idea was it to hang my son there like that?'

He waited and no one answered.

With a firmer, more menacing voice he asked louder, the air seeming to tremble in the room as he spoke 'Who thought that dragging my son here, like a dog by the looks of it, would even remotely please me?'

When no one answered again, he pointed to the largest man in the group he could see.

'You.' He said. 'Are you the brilliant one?'

The man stuttered, rising to his feet without a choice. 'My, My Lord..' he started. He glanced towards the smouldering shape on the floor a few feet from them.

'Ahh…' said the demon. 'You were following _his_ brilliance? He thought this was good?'

The man only nodded, clearly afraid.

The demon took a step closer before continuing. The look he gave the man must have been terrifying because the man went as white as a ghost. 'He was wrong….very…very wrong.'

The second man went up in flames, the screams filled the room, and he fell a short distance from the first.

'Magnus…' Asmodeus called over to him, rousing him from his exhausted state. 'My son…I am going to show them how wrong they were. From the looks of you, they weren't very kind in taking you.' The demon looked him over, tilting his head as if considering. 'Are there any who were? Any you feel that I should spare?'

Magnus knew this game. Even if he said a name, not that he knew any, it wouldn't sway his father's decision. Feeling as awful as he did, he found he actually hated these people. These stupid, stupid people who'd thought they could just toy with a world they had no understanding of. Even if their hands hadn't harmed him, they'd watched. They knew. And none did anything to spare him the pain they'd put him through.

Magnus shook his head, his eyes were closed again and his head bowed. 'No…' he said softly.

His father heard him, and grinned. With a snap of his fingers, the robes went up in flames. Within minutes they were all dead.

Then it was just he and Magnus in the room, and the smell of charred flesh. The echoes of the screams slowly died away.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Follow to make sure you know when I update!

Love, SV xxoo


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer - I am borrowing these beautiful, magnificent characters. I hope some day to create some of my own, but for now, credit goes to Cassandra Clare for a brilliant mind and imagination. (PS Ms. Clare, if you are reading this, thank you a million times over for creating this world for my imagination to play in. I hope you like what you see.)

Chapter 4:

It had only been a matter of hours, but to Alexander Lightwood it had felt like days. They'd returned to Magnus' loft, the Chairman was clean and fed and warming himself by the fire.

In an attempt to distract himself, Alec had cleaned up the kitchen and the rest of the room, dragging a garbage bag behind him and saying nothing. Everyone else spoke in whispers. Simon had managed to get what was left of the warlock's phone charged but there were no clues there. No strange numbers or messages, no texts threatening him or mentioning a job somewhere.

There was just nothing. Alec hadn't realized how hard he'd been counting on the answers being easily found on the phone until it came up empty and he felt the fear begin to crush him. Where was he? Was he okay? He asked himself variations of the questions as his anxiety and fear blurred his vision with tears.

He was in Magnus's bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed that he'd just absentmindedly made when Caterina walked in. She gave him a quick smile that wasn't reassuring.

Alec wiped the moisture from his cheeks with the back of his hand. "I just thought it'd be nice for his place to be tidied up when he got back." He was babbling, he was famous for that, and Caterina moved to the chair by Magnus's dressing table, sitting and taking a moment to let him compose himself.

Alec looked at her with a painful amount of optimism. 'Let me guess, nothing yet?'

She looked at him sadly. "I've asked around, no one has seen him. No one's heard anything."

His heavy sigh made her pause. Her heart went out to him. She'd witnessed the depth of their affection for each other, and while she was worried about Magnus, she knew his absence was torturing Alec.

"So what do we do then?" He was leaning forward with his hands clasped together, his eyes were closed tightly. It wouldn't have taken a warlock to read his thoughts - he was hoping there was something, anything, they could do.

Caterina hesitated, not sure if she should pass along the information she did have. It was a long-shot, it wasn't a guarantee, it likely didn't have anything to do with their situation. And she hated that she might get his hopes up for nothing.

A portal had been opened. Another warlock was able to tell her that a day before there had been a portal opened in Mexico that had led to a small rural place in Indonesia. The warlock said that he could keep the path open if they wanted to follow it. She wasn't about to ask how, Magnus probably understood that strength of magic, but it was beyond her. She'd asked him to do just that, the only clue being that she knew Magnus was from somewhere in Indonesia originally, which was the long shot. It could just have been coincidence, a random place, but it was all she had.

As she explained this to Alec, they were joined by Simon and Isabelle, both were eager to chase the news. Alec wasn't as eager as she'd expected. He was the rational one, the other two were ready to chase the adventure. He spoke very bluntly and it revealed the fear holding him back.

"So…we get to Mexico and we go through a portal to who knows where…..and we get there and find out it wasn't ….. " He paused, swallowing hard. Isabelle joined him and grabbed hold of one of his hands. "Say we get there and he's…gone."

Isabelle said "So then we look for clues there. This has to be it Alec. I feel it. We'll follow and we'll find him."

"No," Alec started. "I mean, what if we get there and he's already _gone_. "

The way he emphasized what he meant was as painful as the idea.

What if he was _gone_? A world without Magnus Bane seemed impossible.

"I say we go so we know for sure. It beats sitting here wondering and thinking the worst and not knowing." Simon added. He was trying to be helpful, and Isabelle rewarded him with a smile.

Alec wasn't changing his mind, and his sister took the chance and said the things they were all thinking but were afraid to dwell on too long. The what if's. "What if he needs us, what if he needs help Alec?" Her grip on her brother's hand tightened. "What if he's in trouble or in pain? What if us going is the difference between him living or dying?" She moved to kneel in front of him, willing him to look at her. "Alec, if we go and he's dead…you know you'll always feel guilty that you didn't go sooner. That you didn't rush to save him, do everything you possibly could to help him. The possibility will always be there that you could've saved him. I know you're afraid….."

He tried to jerk his hands from hers, but she held him tightly. "I'm afraid too. I don't want the worst. But I can't sit here and wait to hear."

Alec looked at his sister, his younger, braver sister and sighed. The tears stopped and the determination took over. They'd go. They'd track him down. They'd find out, good or bad. Good, they'd bring him home with them. Bad, Alec knew in his heart, he'd hunt down whoever was responsible even if it took the rest of his life to do it.

It took little time to pack what they needed. They locked the loft, leaving the Chairman well stocked until they got back and with the promise of bringing his master home.

Caterina opened a portal for them to get them to Mexico. They met the other warlock and he was able to re-open the portal from before. He warned them that he couldn't guarantee they'd be arriving in a safe place, so they went in ready to defend themselves when they emerged on the other side in Indonesia.

When the last of them, Simon, landed on the gravel floor roughly, he saw the others in fighting stances, weapons raised. But they were alone. It was dark, like a cave, and they were surrounded by silence.

Witch light lit their paths, and they opted to head down further.

Alec shivered as his clothes took forever to dry. Partly from anxiety as well. He was hunting, he was nervous, but he was leading the others. He had to. For Magnus.

A short while later Simon tripped on something along the edge of their path. Leaning over with the light, he found a shoe. "Guys, look. How do you lose a shoe in a place like this? You'd think a person would notice, the floor is not bare-foot friendly."

He stood holding it up and Alec recognized the large leather shoe. A quick look helped Isabelle find the matching one.

"They're fancy." she said. "Didn't Magnus…."

Alec cut her off "Those are his.' He said surely, not meeting their glances. "They're his."

Simon held onto them and noted the faint rusty tang smell - blood. There was blood on them. He didn't mention it to Alec, but he showed Isabelle and her eyes widened. She put them into her bag. A short distance down the path, the darker spots started. The footprints were smeared as if a person had been shuffling or dragging their feet, spots of blood making the tracks clearer.

Alec tried to swallow down the dreadful feeling. He'd noticed the dark stains on the leather shoes, and he saw the tracks now, certain they'd made him walk barefoot. His hunter's mind told him _Of course they did. If nothing else, there'd be no way he'd be running far once his feet were cut up._

Alec paused, leaning a hand against the cool cave wall, hoping to steady himself. As Simon and Isabelle stepped past him, she didn't get a chance to ask if he was alright before he leaned forward and puked.

They all gave him a moment, Caterina offering him a bottle of water which he used to rinse out his mouth. He wasn't embarrassed, he was so angry in that moment. His anger was rising as he thought about what they'd put together so far. How anyone could do this to someone like Magnus - treat him like this, like an animal.

He stood straight and walked at a brisker pace through the tunnel. He would find them, he thought. He would kill every one of them after he made them walk until their feet bled, maybe over hot coals. Maybe after pulling out their toenails first.

When the tunnel started to get brighter, there seemed to be noises. Echoes. The silence was gone, the tunnel opened up into a huge, ornately decorated room. The columns reminded Alec of many of the churches he'd seen in Europe, but they were underground now. Candles lit the room and everything had an orange hue from the flame light.

They entered and it took less than a moment for Alec to find him. Magnus hung from his wrists between two pillars. His clothes were tattered and dirty, blood ran down his arms and dripped to the floor beneath him. His head hung, his eyes were closed. His feet were behind him, as if he couldn't bear his own weight on the wounds, his knees were a foot above the ground. He hung. He didn't move, even when Alec called his name.

Alec ran towards him and almost reached him before running into an invisible barrier. He landed hard on his butt, and regained his feet before starting to pound on the wall separating him from his goal.

The other 3 joined him and after several failed attempts to break through, they stood back and let Caterina try magic. It worked no better, and still Magnus hung motionless before them, so close. So painfully close.

"So what do we do?" Simon began. The question answered itself.

Asmodeus appeared on the opposite side of the wall near Magnus. He wore a fine white suit, the barbed wire crown on his head caught the flickering candle flames. "I'm not surprised you came for him. I'm somewhat glad you did, and so quickly. He doesn't have much time left I'm afraid. His mortal body has endured quite a lot of punishment."

Alec tried to step towards the prince of hell, but was stopped by the barrier. "Who did this to him?"

Asmodeus smiled as wide as a cat. "First, thank you for not assuming it was me. It wasn't, of course. Those that did this…well…I made short work of them." He gestured towards the pile of ashes near the pentagram. "Imagine, thinking it'd please me to torture my own son? Stupid people…stupid stupid…"

"Is he alright? Please let me get to him." Alec leaned on the wall, the urgency in his voice.

Asmodeus folded his arms over his chest. "Mr. Lightwood, I know of your feelings towards Magnus. And given what he's endured, I'm very much inclined to let you have him back."

Isabelle started forward "You are?" she said, trying to hide her disbelief.

Asmodeus laughed "My child, of course. If I'd wanted him dead, I wouldn't have helped you find him here. I would have just taken him after I'd dispatched with his captors. He's too….talented. I still have hopes for him."

Alec looked at the group and then back to the demon. "There's a price, isn't there? Magnus said there's always a price, a trick."

The demon nodded gravely. "I'm afraid there is, little Shadowhunter. You see, I do require something for my efforts."

"What do you want?" It was Caterina who spoke. It was the first time she'd said anything.

The demon prince looked towards her and smiled. "Ahh, look how you've grown, my dear."

Isabelle and Simon exchanged a glance at the affection directed at Caterina. She, meanwhile, remained calm. "Uncle, please give us the answer so we may take Magnus home."

"You remember, Lightwoods, the last time we met that I wanted memories."

Isabelle looked at him. "You took Simon's memories. I remember. You have those already."

He smiled again, his pointed teeth seemed to glimmer. "Right you are. I want more." He paused, they imagined, for dramatic effect. "As I've already had those from you, I want them from Magnus. He's had a much longer, much more interesting life you understand."

They looked at him, the way he smiled and could feel the menace. There'd be more.

"And of course" he added "I want his memories….of you. Of all of you. His association with you, and your kind. I want him to forget his loyalty to Nephilim."

"And you know it'll hurt us…hurt me…for him to forget." Alec said. His tone was grave, his voice low.

"Exactly!" the demon cheered with unrestrained joy, clapping his hands for emphasis.

That was the trick, they realized. They would save their friend but he wouldn't know them. After it was all said and done they would lose him anyway.

Alec bit back the anger to answer "But he'll live. You'll promise he survives."

Asmodeus regarded him with the sincerest smile he could. "Yes. I give you my word, I will heal him enough now that he'll be able to travel back with you. I'll even make the portal to send you home. But I cannot heal him completely, that's not my forte after all. I'm sure you understand."

He'd be alive. Alec could handle that. He'd survive. He'd help him heal.

He wouldn't be dead - He'd be alive.

Death was final. Life meant possibilities.

Magnus would live.

He started by nodding, then voicing his ascent. "Alright. Please, please help him. Take his memories, but save him."

Asmodeus grinned with the victory. Then he turned and walked towards the son he'd left strung up. He loosened the ties, letting Magnus slump into his arms, his body limp. He laid him gently on the ground, and as he did so Alec felt the wall under his hand fall away. He started towards Magnus slowly and watched as his father cradled his head and laid his hand on his forehead.

He whispered to him, his fingers glowed and Magnus' eyes flew open suddenly. He cried out 'No!" but was silent a moment later, too weak to fight. His eyes closed and Asmodeus's did as well, a grin spreading over his face of pure joy as he dined on Magnus' memories.

He laid Magnus' head on the floor, placed a hand on his chest, together they glowed for a moment. Then Asmodeus rose from the floor, and turned to the rest of them. He gave Alec a curious look before saying "He's all yours now. Take him home, rest will help him more than anything else."

In a blink, he was gone. A portal slowly opened across the room where the tunnel had lead them in.

Alec rushed to Magnus, noted the sweat on his forehead and his laboured breathing. Simon helped him pick him up and they headed to the portal. Magnus didn't so much as groan or stir on the journey. His breathing was the only sign he was alive at all.

His wrists were horrific, his feet as well. They looked so painful and continued to bleed. Caterina started making a mental note of what to do as soon as they had him home. And god was he skinny. He'd need food and water, possibly thru an IV to start. Luckily she was a pro at that task.

The portal took them home, as promised. Directly into Magnus' living room, leaving Alec uneasy with the knowledge that Asmodeus knew exactly where he lived.

They settled the warlock into his bed, stripped him of his filthy clothes. Alec did notice the remains of the sweater and made a vow to buy him a new one asap. They cleaned his cuts, his wounds were wrapped in an old-fashioned way, but Caterina promised it'd help him heal faster with the herbs and medicine she'd infused into the bandages. She also started him on an IV and as he re-hydrated his breathing improved and his colour started coming back.

Alec kept a silent vigil by his bed, none of the others having the nerve or the heart to remind him that Magnus wouldn't know him.

They waited. It was all they could do. The Chairman understood the plan, curling up near his master's chest, purring a comfort into him.

Magnus was alive. The rest seemed insignificant in comparison ….for now.

He'd live.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. Comments/Reviews are always welcome. Follow to make sure you know when I update!

(So sorry it's been so long, real-life kind of invaded my writing time.)

Love, SV xxoo


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